Laura Anderson
It’s vital to have good role models, which is why it's important, especially in a world like ours, to have women in STEM.
The number of women working in STEM - science, technology, engineering and maths - has been steadily increasing since the 1970s. In the current day, we make up 28% of the STEM workforce. The majority of these women work in sectors such as biology and chemistry, making up just over 40% of the employees.
When it comes to those who are studying sciences, the numbers are the same. In the UK, only 35% of higher education students who are studying STEM subjects are women. Only 19% of those studying computer science degrees are women. Globally, women make up a mere 33% of all researchers. The numbers show a clear need for change. In STEM, women are a minority, but it’s time they found an equal footing. Women are vital for making a change in science, and making ground-breaking discoveries, just as much as men.
An image showing Marie and Pierre Curie at work in their laboratory.
Throughout history, many women have contributed to the STEM fields. Marie Curie, 1867-1934, was a Polish-French physicist and chemist who made great strides in her research on radioactivity. She contributed greatly to finding treatments for cancer, and discovered both radium and polonium. Chien-Shiung Wu, 1912-1997, was a Chinese-American physicist dubbed the “Queen of Nuclear Research”. She made massive contributions to the field of nuclear and particle physics, and is famous for her work on the separation of uranium into isotopes.
An image depicting Chien-Shiung Wu.
Elizabeth Garrett Anderson, 1836-1917, who was the first woman in Great Britain to qualify as a physician and surgeon, and the first female member of the British Medical Association. She was a suffragette and co-founded Britain’s first medical school which trained women to become doctors.
Katherine Johnson, 1918-2020, an American mathematician who became the first black female engineer at NASA. Her calculations of orbital mechanics were vital for the success of the first and later U.S crewed spaceflights.
An image depicting Katherine Johnson.
Ada Lovelace, 1815-1852, an English mathematician and writer who is now considered the world’s first ever computer programmer, thanks to her work on the Analytical Engine. In addition to these 5, there are countless other women who have made great contributions to science.
Their role in history is crucial for inspiring other young women to follow in their footsteps. Role models provide us with direction and motivate us to achieve our goals. If it weren’t for my science and maths teachers, I would have likely never had gained an interest in their subjects, and subsequently would not be heading down the route of working in a STEM field. Women in STEM are the key to encouraging other women to take an interest in these fields and make a change in the world of science.
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